"Cosmetic compositions" as used herein refer to products generally recognized as being formulated for beautifying or grooming the skin (especially the face), lips, eyes or nails. For example, cosmetic compositions such as lotions, creams, emulsions, packs, make-up (e.g., foundations, lipsticks, nail polish, eye shadows and the like) are used to improve one's outward appearance. For many of these applications, it is desirable that the composition provide long wear.
In particular, consumers use nail polishes to cosmetically enhance their nails or protect the nails from everyday conditions and stressors. However, these nail polish compositions are deficient in many respects, including their inability to provide long wear. Nail polishes which are known or currently available often exhibit deterioration, particularly in the form of chipping or peeling, in as few as one or two days. Such poor wear often forces consumers to remove their nail polish soon after original application and reapply additional nail polish to the nails. Consumers may also attempt to correct the unsightly appearance of the deteriorating nail polish by "touching-up" the areas of the nail which exhibit the deterioration, a practice which actually impairs the overall look of the nail polish. Finally, consumers may choose to do nothing about the deterioration and allow, for example, chipping and peeling to progress, resulting in nails which are not only minimally protected from the environment but are unsightly as well.
The art is replete with nail polish compositions which are promoted as having long wear, and/or resistance to chipping. While some nail polish compositions provide better wear than others, a need remains for nail polish compositions having improved wear properties.
The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the present compositions provide excellent long wear properties including, for example in the case of nail polishes, chip-resistance and superior hardness. These compositions have preferred toughness properties for deflecting environmental stressors which contribute to wear. The compositions exhibit long wear at a superior level not provided by the nail polishes which are presently known and used.